


A Distant Lullaby

by Sneakyfox55



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: (like literally), Abused Chara, Almost Everyone Else Are Background Characters, Asriel is a Sweetheart, Background Character Death, Backstory, Chara Needs a Hug, Dark Magic, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Evil entities, Gen, Gender-Neutral Chara (Undertale), Gender-Neutral Frisk (Undertale), Good Chara (Undertale), Good versus Evil, Manipulated Chara, Mind Manipulation, Protective Chara (Undertale), Psychological Child Abuse, Psychological Horror, Undertale Genocide Route, headcanons, like lots of them - Freeform, sentient magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:53:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22251397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sneakyfox55/pseuds/Sneakyfox55
Summary: “Determination.” A trait ultimately known for its good merits, and the unwillingness to give up in the face of despair. Indeed, it was considered a good thing to have among humans, never a burden or curse.But, what if this “Determination” was more of a curse than everyone thought?
Relationships: Chara & Asriel Dreemurr, Chara & Frisk (Undertale)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 8
Collections: My stuff





	1. The Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> this is a story i've had in my mind for quite a while, and i really wanted to post a new thing so here you go i guess?? haha. It'll probably be more different than anything else i've written for Undertale--hence the tags--and a lot more serious and dark. It will also include a load of headcanons too, featuring the backstory of the characters and history of monsters as a whole. You have been warned. (Aaand it may seem like a canon-divergence but I promise it's supposed to fit with the events in the actual game, the lore in this particular story is just very complex. ;-;)
> 
> Anyway, I'm really excited to share this one! It'll probably be one of my bigger stories plot-wise, so stay tuned!!

The mayor tapped his pen against the desk thoughtfully, as though the action alone would bring him an idea of sorts. He’d been at it for a while at this point, since truly, there was nothing better for him to do.

Only a few hours ago, his son had come to him, playing another one of his tricks. “They attacked me,” he had said. “They tried to kill me,” he said. But Mayor Ebott was far from stupid; he knew the minds of children, especially that of his son. And it simply didn’t add up in his own. The creatures his son spoke of were not like that, in any sort, in any shape or form.

His disbelief had made the boy frustrated—angry, even. The mayor wondered why, of all things, the child was angry that his games hadn’t worked. He normally didn’t act the way he was; he liked to prank him, yes, but with _this_? It was cruel, and deceitful. Immoral, in a way. The boy may have always had an overactive imagination, but this was going a bit far.

Yet, he still couldn’t pass it off as something being actually wrong, either with his son or his words. The child was just going through a phase, surely. In time, he’d realize what his actions meant, and how true Justice never blamed others.

* * *

It was that evening, that he received the news.

“Your children are dead,” they had told him.

 _My children are dead,_ he thought, over, and over, and over.

He wanted something, or someone, to blame. And at first, he had that someone; but then, he’d seen the looks on their faces, how distraught they’d been. They cared much for the children, almost as much as he had, even though they barely knew them. It was their nature, after all. They had never intended for this to happen. They simply hadn’t been the ones in control of whatever fate had condemned his poor dears.

In reality, if there was anyone to blame, it was himself, for he had been the one that put the sorrowful creatures in charge of the children. And he would do better. That was a guarantee, a promise. He would make it up to those two, his innocent son and daughter who had their lives cut short so very quickly.

Yes, he would make it up to them, through any means necessary.

* * *

Mayor Ebott was losing his battle; not that he ever had a chance, really. He was doomed from the start, as soon as they died. As soon as he let them go with the monsters. As soon as they climbed the mountain. As soon as his daughter fell. As soon as his son jumped in after her.

...As soon as the funeral began, and the somber music played. As soon as he tried to get away from the crowd, for a moment to himself. As soon as the sky darkened, and a figure stepped out of the shadows.

As soon as he met the cold, yellow eyes of his son, there in front of him.

_You could have saved me._

_Why didn’t you save me?_

_Why did you let them take us up there?_

_They failed, because of you._

_You need to right your wrongs, Father._

_You need to serve Justice._

_You need to rid humanity of them._

“No,” the mayor whispered, pleadingly. “It’s not their fault, they didn’t—”

 _They let me die!_ the apparition of his child spat back, its mouth twisting into a deformed shape, its soulless eyes piercing into him like a rose’s thorns. _I warned you! You should have known! You should have done something!_

No. No, no, monsters weren’t like that. It was a lie. It was...

_No._

He wouldn’t believe it.

_He wouldn’t let it happen._

But the ghost came back.

He came back, always. It was just his son, never his daughter. He came alone, taunting him, a prodding beast that caused shame and despair. He could not escape. He could not win. His own son was tearing down his mind, making him feel a sense of hopelessness he had never felt before.

He wouldn’t believe him, still, but the guilt tore through him mercilessly, until he could fight no longer, not even _attempt_ to.

He gave in.

* * *

Mayor Ebott gave the speech a few days after that. As a result, the humans turned on them, blind in their sudden hatred.

The war began not even an hour later.

It ended within a week.

The monsters were forced underground.

The humans gathered seven of their most powerful wizards, and used their magic to create a barrier.

Seven souls were needed to break it.

The village wasn’t content, even though they believed they were.

The mayor was pleased, even though he wouldn’t have been, normally.

Mayor Ebott was happy, though it wasn’t him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prepare to be very confused for a good few chapters :')


	2. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this one is so short, I promise there'll be more stuff next chapter

It’d been about an hour since they first left home. By now, their mother would be talking to the authorities, desperate to find them. But nobody would. They’d make sure of that.

The current mayor, Mayor “Jones” or something, was set on blaming the monsters, of all things; of course, everyone would agree with him, that was simply a given. But _they_ knew better. _They_ were the ones who’d left. They weren’t forced by monsters—something else, as a matter of fact. But that was their secret. Even after leaving the village, they’d seen him, a couple of times. And it had scared them; which was silly, they knew. But they ran anyway, fleeing, trying to keep what little sanity they had at that point. Eventually, they reached the forest, and with it, the mountains.

It took them a good thirty minutes—probably—to reach the top of one. Too little too late they realized _exactly_ which one, and regardless of their skepticism for what everyone else believed, they felt scared. They could have climbed back down, but they imagined that taking much longer, what with their extra-caution to not fall.

“You ran away.”

They spun around, the hair on the back of their neck rising. “Wh-who’s there?” they called tentatively. They took a slight step backwards when they heard no response at first. Then...

“I am a friend,” the voice said.

If this person was a friend, where were they? Why were they hiding?

Apparently, the child asked this much aloud, for when they glanced behind them, they saw another child, around the same age as them.

“I can help you,” the other child told them calmly. He had eyes as golden as the sun itself, and there was an air about him that seemed to label him as much older than he appeared.

“How?” retorted the other, red flashing in their own gaze.

He pointed behind them, at the cave. “Fall,” he stated.

“...Fall?”

“You will find your answers down there.”

The runaway child blinked, silent.

“I could offer you advice,” the yellow one continued. “And knowledge.”

They snorted. “Likewise. What makes you think I’d...”

The yellow child stared back at them, intensely. They found they couldn’t look away. They found themselves wanting to listen, to obey.

They blinked, and in the next instant, they woke up on a flowerbed.

* * *

Miss Namada glanced, again, at the clock in front of her. She sighed, for what felt like the hundredth time.

It was almost midnight; two hours since the sky had grown dark. Two hours since her child had run away.

“I did warn them,” she muttered.

And she had. They’d known the dangers, but they left, despite that. They had never been a very obedient one. They thought they had the answers, but they didn’t. They thought they knew better, when they didn’t. They didn’t believe her teachings, when they should have.

Now look where it got them.

Shaking her head, she put her book down. Perhaps this is what they wanted all along.

“But do not blame me when you find out you’re mistaken,” she hummed to herself, “for indeed, my dear Chara, Mayor Ebott always knows best.”


End file.
